Pete,
Like the poetry and appreciate the definitions but you missed one with a
Q connection.
'On the Terminal RR in St. Louis (owned by the Wabash then) a foreman
named Bill had the job of taking all the Q cars and putting them on the
transfer track before midnight when the Q was going on strike. (year?)
When he got there the track was full not one car would fit. So he had
the engineer pull ahead putting in slack then back up as fast as he
could and shoved in about 75 cars, closed the gate and went home
satisfied with his delivery. Well Bill received his time for that night
and wanted to know what for. When told he blew up and said "I'm going to
sue there ain't no word. Whoever heard of "Wabashing" cars." And the
crews started laughing at the strange charge.
It was learmed that a chief clerk over in the Q yard office had named
the stunt by reporting it to his superintendent in these words: "Last
night some crew filled our yard with cars, piled 'em all over the yard,
so that the wrecker will be busy for a month clearing up the mess. It
was a Wabash stunt." He stated.
With that the term got started."
>From "A Treasury of Railroad Folklore" Botkin & Harlow
Ken Martin
PSHedgpeth@a... wrote:
>
> you wabashed one last night
>
> * non fits.....Cars not fit for loading
> ** Class A's....boxcars suitable for flour or other high class commodities
> ***Flats...flat bottom gondolas
> **** Drops.....drop bottom gondolas
> D
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